Variations in Health and Health Behaviors by Nativity Among Pregnant Black Women in Philadelphia.

• Autores: Irma T. Elo, Jennifer F. Culhane
• Localización: American journal of public health, ISSN 0090-0036, Vol. 100, Nº. 11, 2010, págs. 2185-2192
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Objectives. We compared health behaviors and health outcomes among US-born, African-born, and Caribbean-born pregnant Black women and examined whether sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics explained differences among these population subgroups. Methods. We analyzed data from a prospective cohort study conducted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a series of nested logistic regression models predicting tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use and measures of physical and mental health. Results. Foreign-born Black women were significantly less likely to engage in substance use and had better self-rated physical and mental health than did native-born Black women. These findings were largely unchanged by adjustment for sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics. The foreign-born advantage varied by place of birth: it was somewhat stronger for African-born women than for Caribbean-born women. Conclusions. Further studies are needed to gain a better understanding of the role of immigrant selectivity and other characteristics that contribute to more favorable health behaviors and health outcomes among foreign-born Blacks than among native-born Blacks in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]